the ropes
plural noun
1
: the special way things are done at a particular place or in a particular activity
The veteran cop showed the rookie the ropes.
It will take a few weeks for new employees to learn the ropes.
someone who knows the ropes
2
: a fence made of rope that encloses a boxing or wrestling ring
The boxer was pushed back against the ropes.
Examples of the ropes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To listen to Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric, only months ago America was on the ropes in its darkest hour for generations.
—
David Mastio, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025
In one case, a passenger accidentally cut the ropes on one side of the boat.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
Cavin McCall has been to the Torrey Pines Golf Course hundreds of times, but never like this — inside the ropes teeing it up alongside some of the best golfers in the world for the Farmers Insurance Open.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
During the 2015 Australian Open final, the Scot thought his current charge was on the ropes.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the ropes 
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David Mastio, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025
In one case, a passenger accidentally cut the ropes on one side of the boat.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
Cavin McCall has been to the Torrey Pines Golf Course hundreds of times, but never like this — inside the ropes teeing it up alongside some of the best golfers in the world for the Farmers Insurance Open.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
During the 2015 Australian Open final, the Scot thought his current charge was on the ropes.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the ropes
Dictionary Entries Near the ropes
Cite this Entry
“The ropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20ropes. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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